Speaker Bios

Annie Zhu
Associate Editor, Pulp & Paper International (PPI) magazine
Editor, PPI China magazine
RISI

Annie is an experienced business-to-business writer and editor based in RISI's Shanghai office. She previously worked as a commodities reporter and news editor at the Interfax news agency in Shanghai, the Financial Times in London and the Shanghai Media Group. She holds an M.A. from Bristol University in the UK and a B.A. in International Journalism from Shanghai International Studies University.
Cao Zhenlei
President, China National Pulp and Paper Research Institute (CNPPRI)
VP, China Light Industry (Group) Corporation
Cao Zhenlei (Ph.D), Current Positions: Deputy General Manager of China Light Industry (Group) Corporation; President of China National Pulp and Paper Research Institute (CNPPRI); Secretary General of China Technical Association of Paper Industry (CTAPI); General Manager of China Paper Industry Development Corporation (CPIDC).
Evandro Muzilli
Chief Representative Officer
VCP Asia
Evandro Muzilli is the Chief Representative Officer of VCP Asia, being responsible for all the operations of VCP in that region. He is working for VCP since 2004 and was based in Brazil until 2006, when he was requested to start the operations of the VCP office in Asia. Evandro relocated to Shanghai by the beginning of 2007 in order to open and run VCP Asia Shanghai Office. Prior to joining VCP he worked for the chemical side of Votorantim Group for 5 years, being responsible for the business in the whole Americas. Evandro has a large experience on international business, having the opportunity during his career to deal with different products in different regions of the world. He holds a BA in Marketing and a MBA in Business Administration.
Vu Ngoc Bao
Secretary General
Vietnam Pulp and Paper Association
Education:
Graduate of Forest University at Zvolen, Slovakia in 1968
Received Ph.D. Degree from Forest University at Zvolen, Slovakia in 1983
Working Positions:
1990 - Director Cau Duong Wood Co., Hanoi, Vietnam
1997 - Deputy General Director, Vietnam - Daewoo Paper Co., Hai Phong, Vietnam
2000 - up to now: Secretary General, Vietnam Pulp and Paper Association
R. R. Vederah
Managing Director
Ballarpur Industries

Mr. Rajeev Ranjan Vederah is Managing Director of Ballarpur Industries Limited (BILT), the largest paper producer in India and Malaysia. BILT is a part of 3 Bn dollar Avantha Group and has six manufacturing facilities in India and one in Malaysia with a capacity of over 900,000 MT of paper per annum, consisting of Woodfree Coated and Uncoated writing & printing paper and copier paper, and 95,000 MT of Rayon grade pulp per annum.

Mr. R R Vederah has been with BILT, for over 25 years, where he has contributed significantly to its turnaround and growth. Currently, he is driving the overall business plan and is responsible for the company's top-line and bottom-line volume and growth, along with managing its Business operations.
Mr. Vederah is also involved in the development of BILT's organization and Business Strategy towards a mandate to achieve the company's aggressive growth plans. He is also the key driver of new technology and quality initiatives aimed at taking BILT to in the South Asian region.
Mr. Vederah is the Chairman of Solaris Chemtech Industries Ltd and BILT Industrial Packaging Company Limited, and a key member of the Avantha Group Council.

He sits on the boards of various companies, including BILT Tree Tech Limited, The Paperbase Company Limited, BILT Graphic Paper Products Limited, Ballarpur International Holdings B.V., Ballarpur International Paper Holdings B.V., Ballarpur International Graphic Paper Holdings B.V., Sabah Forest Industries Sdn. Bhd., and Imerys NewQuest (India) Private Limited.

Mr. Vederah is a Chemical Engineer from Indian Institute of Technology, New Delhi and has a Masters in Chemical Engineering from University of Aston, Brimingham, U.K. He has interest in Cricket and plays Golf.

Jerome Xu
Chief Analyst in Paper Making, Printing and Other Light Industry
Research Department
CITIC Securities Co., Ltd.
Xu Jun is chief analyst and senior vice president at the Papermaking and Printing Research Department, CITIC Securities. He holds an M.A. from the University of Southampton in the UK. He worked in the trust investment headquarter of HSBC in the UK during 2002 - 2005.

In June 2005, Xu came back to China and joined the R&D Center of China Merchants Securities. He started to be engaged in papermaking and printing industry research in June 2006. Since May 2007 till now, he has been in the Research Department of CITIC Securities.

Xu has won the third and the second place in 2007 and 2008 respectively in the "New Fortune's Best Analyst in Papermaking and Printing Industry" ranking. In addition, he received the third and the first place in 2007 and 2008 respectively in the "Weekly on Stocks" Best Analyst" award. He was also a contributing writer for China Papermaking Yearbook during 2007 - 2009.
Mohit Jain
Director
Business & Commercial (sourcing & supply chain)
The Times of India Group

Director (Head) - Business & Commercial, Times Group
- Procurement, warehousing & logistics and third party publishing arrangements
- Group role including publishing, radio, television, internet and out-of-home businesses
- Managing a spend of US$01 billion across CapEx, newsprint, IT, telecom, ERP, insurance, logistics, projects, etc.

Member of the Board - Indian Newspaper Society (INS*), New Delhi
- Chairman: Newsprint Committee, INS
- Ex Chairman: Modernization & Technology Committee, INS

Member of the Board - Vijayanand Printers Ltd., Bangalore (Times Group subsidiary)

International facilitator on Procurement Best Practices

Awarded the "India e-Sourcing Pioneer Award" by FreeMarkets Inc. (now, Ariba Inc.)

Qualifications: MBA, Chemical Engineer
Status: 42 years, Married with 2 children

*INS is an industry body of Indian publishers

Brian Neil McDonald
Deputy CEO Ilim Group
Managing Director Ilim East

Brian Neil McDonald is responsible for $1bln+ pulp and packaging business focused on China/Asia. Business includes $3.5+mln hectares of forest lands. Two pulp and paper mills and about 14,000 employees.

Prior to Ilim Group, Brian had a long career in International Paper where he rose to increasing levels of responsibility.

Brian has a BA from Brandeis University, an MF from Duke University and an MBA from University of Virginia.

Ma Yuanyuan
Environmental Marketing Manager
UPM-Kymmene (Changshu) Paper Industry Co., Ltd.
UPM-Kymmene (Changshu) Paper Industry Co., Ltd, Environmental Marketing Manager, responsible for environmental marketing of UPM China and Aisa-Pacific area, promoting UPM leading environmental concept and practices in the market.

Previously working in multi-national companies in corporate communication and marketing communication areas.

Studied in Germany and received MBA degree of International Management of Resource and Environment in Freiberg University of Technology. Graduated from Nankai University and received bachelor degree of Chemistry.
Liu Hanwen
Vice General Manager
Zhuhai Hongta Renheng Paper
Liu Hanwen, Vice General Manager for the operation of Zhuhai Hongta Renheng Paper Co., Ltd. and papermaking Engineer, is in charge of the operational and strategic management of the company, etc.

I got involved in papermaking industry in 1989 just after the graduation from a polytechnic school under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Light Industry, in which I majored in papermaking. During this time, I used to be the general manager of a printing enterprise for two years. The twenty-year experience of hardworking in papermaking, packaging and printing industry is, for anyone, worth being proud and confident.

Zhuhai Hongta Renheng Paper Co., Ltd. is the best coated cardboard producer in China and is also the first company which invented liquid packaging board as well as cardboard for cigarette packaging. The company became subsidiary company of China Chengtong Group under the Commission of China State Asset Management after the asset reconstructuring in 2008 and is now the core platform for China Chengtong Group to strengthen her papermaking strategy. Hongta Renheng has now the annual capacity of nearly 600,000 tons of coated cardboard and is widely accepted in the Chinese markets in the packaging industries such as cigarette, food, pharmaceutics cosmetics and other special paper grades.
Thomas Gestrich
President
International Paper (IP) Asia

Thomas E. Gestrich (Tom) is President of International Paper Asia and is responsible for the company's business in the Asian Region.

Tom joined International Paper in 1990 and has served in a number of general manager positions as well as vice president and general manager of Bleached Board, and vice president and general manager of the Beverage Packaging Business and senior vice president, Consumer Packaging.  He began his career in 1972 with Procter & Gamble in paper manufacturing, where he held various manufacturing positions.

Tom received his bachelor's degrees in chemistry and chemical engineering and his master's degree in chemical engineering from the University of Pittsburgh.

Now he is located in Shanghai China.

Duan Xiaomin
Chairman of the Board
Nanning Phoenix Pulp and Paper

Duan Xiaomin is the Chairman of the board of Nanning Phoenix Pulp and Paper. After Graduating from the Northwest Light Industry Insitute, Duan worked at Guangxi Liujiang Paper during 1984-1992. Since 1993, Duan has been working at Nanning Phoenix Pulp and Paper, with job titles of Deputy Director of the Technical Department, Director of the Work Safety Department, Vice General Manager, General Manager, and Chairman of the Board consecutively.

Nanning Phoenix Pulp and Paper is a fast growing Chinese tissue maker, operating a 150,000 tonne/yr bleached softwood and hardwood kraft pulp line and 12 tissue PMs with a combined capacity of 35,000 tonnes/yr at the mill.  It has unveiled plans to install a 30,000 tonne/yr tissue paper machine at its mill in Nanning city, in China's Guangxi province.

Jiang Peng
Deputy General Manager
Chief Engineer
Guangzhou Paper

Graduation:
Paper Making Process in Southern China University of Technology, 1990

Professional career:
1990-Engineer of paper machine plant, GZP
1993-Vice director of paper machine plant, GZP
1995-Project manager of PM8, GZP
2000-Director of paper machine plant, GZP

Present position:
2003-Vice general manager, Chief engineer

Work emphasis:
Technic Innovation and Project Management2005 PM1 project, 150000t/y NP line2006 PM8 rebuild project, 30000t/y NP more2007 PM9 project, 380000t/y NP line

Scott Howard
Senior Economist, Macroeconomics
RISI
Scott Howard joined RISI's macroeconomic analysis team in January 2006. He assists in US and international economic forecast work and writes for RISI's Monthly Economic Commentary. In addition, Scott helps produce the macroeconomic outlook sections of RISI's quarterly and long-term forecasts and has contributed to a number of multi-client studies.
Scott holds a bachelor's degree in economics from Bucknell University in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania.
Bob Flynn
Director, International Timber
RISI
Robert Flynn is Director of International Timber for RISI. His work involves analysis of trends in international timber supply and demand and trade in pulpwood and sawlogs. Prior to joining RISI in April 2006, he worked 18 years as a consultant with several firms including Wood Resources International, assisting clients in understanding trends in forest resources, forest ownership, and industrial development in Southern Hemisphere plantation forest countries, China, and elsewhere. In addition, Robert worked 11 years as a forester, primarily for Champion International in Oregon. Projects in 2006 include multi-client studies on China's timber supply deficit, the Global Tree Farm and Managed Forest Industry, and the International Pulpwood Resource and Trade Review.
Robert holds a BA in geography from the University of Texas, a BS in forest management from Northern Arizona University, and an MS in economics from the University of Oregon.
Kurt Schaefer
Vice President, Fiber
RISI
Kurt's responsibilities at RISI are focused on the area of wood pulp. He publishes a monthly commentary and forecast on the world pulp market, World Pulp Monthly. He also produces to RISI's long-term pulp forecasts, focusing on variables such as pulp consumption, capacity, production, production costs, and pricing. Just prior to joining RISI, Kurt was Director of Pulp & Paper Forecaster. As the sole economist working on Forecaster, he was responsible for forecasting prices and market conditions across all of the major grades of paper and paperboard in North America. His work on Forecaster included developing detailed end-user driven demand models for the key grades, including newsprint, coated papers, and containerboard. He also directed a number of editorial projects, including a major long-term study of global newsprint markets. He reached ABD status in the Ph.D. program in Economics at the University of Virginia.
In 1995, he received the designation of Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) from the Association of Investment Management and Research (AIMR).
Alex He
RISI China Representative
Economist
Asian Paper Packaging Service
RISI

Alex He joined as an analyst at RISI's Boston headquarter office in summer 2004. In 2005, Alex was promoted to Economist - Asian Paper Packaging Service covering both Asian containerboard and boxboard market analysis and forecast. In March 2006, Alex was relocated to Shanghai, China to open and run RISI China Representative Office. Alex has been RISI's China Representative since then.

Alex received his MBA degree in International Economics from Boston-based Brandeis University in July 2004 and also held a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Trade from Soochow University, China.

Surya P. Raina
Vice President, Mill Intelligence
RISI
Surya Raina has over 25 years of experience in the pulp and paper industry. He is a Chemical Engineer and has 15 years of operational experience in the Asian pulp and paper industry.
Since 2002, Surya has been working with RISI benchmarking services and has recently assumed the responsibility as Vice President of Mill Intelligence group. Prior to that he spent eight years working as consultant with Jacobs Sirrine Consultants and Simon Consulting group based in Atlanta.
Surya specializes in cost benchmarking of graphic papers and is well versed with the cost structure of graphic papers in different geographical regions. He has also been actively involved in due diligence and optimization studies.
Portia Zhao
Product Manager
RISI
Portia Zhao joined the RISI Shanghai office in Sep. 2006 and is a Product Manager specializing in cost benchmarking for the pulp and paper industry. Portia holds a Master degree of Engineering in Pulp and Paper Technology from the Asian Institute of Technology, Thailand; a Bachelor degree of Economics in International Economics and Trade, and a Bachelor degree of Engineering in Pulp and Paper Technology from the South China University of Technology. Prior to joining RISI, Portia was working with UPM-Kymmene (Changshu) Paper Industry Co., Ltd. in Shanghai, where she was Business Intelligence Analyst for China and the Asia-Pacific region. Portia has also two years of engineering experiences in Advance Agro Pulp & Paper Integrated Co., Ltd. in Prachinburi, Thailand.
John Maine
Vice President, Graphic Paper
RISI
John Maine is Vice President of RISI, the leading information provider for the global forest products industry. He cofounded Resource Information Systems, Inc., the company that became the analytic component of RISI. Mr. Maine has specialized in printing and writing paper and newsprint markets, end uses, supply, costs and pricing for 27 years. More than 200 RISI clients worldwide rely on his detailed monthly and quarterly analysis and forecasts of the graphic paper markets as well as single and multiclient studies. His published reports include the monthly "Paper Trader", the quarterly "North American Graphic Paper Forecast", and the quarterly "World Graphic Paper Forecast". Mr. Maine holds a Master of Science degree in Forest Economics with distinction from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech). He resides in Charlottesville, Virginia with his wife and three children.
Sandy Lu
Graphic Papers Economist
RISI
Sandy Lu, Economist, Shanghai, have been working in the Asian Service helping with RISI's coverage of Asian graphic paper and pulp markets. Ms. Lu did her undergraduate work at the University of Science and Technology East China, and holds a Master of Business Administration from the University of Cardiff, United Kingdom. She is fluent in English, Cantonese and the Shanghai dialect.